Someone was sitting on the throne. His appearance was like a diamond, shining white as the pure, clean holiness of God. The King James Version uses ‘jasper’, which is called the most precious stone; the jasper stone is clear as crystal, in Revelation 21:11. In addition, His appearance was like the deep red colour of the ruby, the colour of blood, and fire and billows of smoke,1 from the Lord’s wrath. That side of the throne becomes visible through flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. This is how the Lord reveals Himself when He gives His holy Law, so that the people of Israel tremble and remain at a distance.2 John will soon3 see what Ezekiel saw as flashes of lightning in and from the four living beings (creatures) that He rules from His throne with power and majesty and He is the rock in whom His children take refuge.4 The voice of God is heard as a peal of thunder by the bystanders.5 The living beings (creatures) also speak with voices like peals of thunder.6 When the angel casts fire down on the earth there are peals of thunder and rumblings and flashes of lightning and earthquakes.7
Later on, the seven peals of thunder will speak. John is not permitted to write their message down, however.8 When the Temple of God in Heaven is opened there are flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder and earthquakes and heavy hailstones.9 God’s wrath is coming. He, who has waited patiently for so long and given people time to convert, to change their wicked ways, will manifest Himself as the Holy One and His judgments will affect the whole earth.
God’s patience with mankind is almost over. His cups, the measure of His judgments is (almost) full, just like birth can no longer be postponed after nine months of pregnancy. All God’s measures are coming to completion first. The cups of wrath are almost full. The exodus of the people from Israel from Egypt could only come to pass in the fourth generation after Abraham. Why then only? Because the sins of the Amorites had not yet reached its full measure.10 “God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” So, the children of Israel had to remain in slavery in Egypt for 400 years. God had a lot of patience, waiting and hoping that the nations living in the Promised Land would change their wicked ways and convert.
The full number of the souls under the altar has to be reached first, before God intervenes.11 The harvest must first be ripe, only then come the harvesters.12 The grapes must first be ripe, before they can be trampled in the winepress.13 The Church, the body of Christ, is coming to completion. The suffering and the hardening of Israel is approaching its fullness. The earth’s population reaches its limits, its completion. Unrighteousness and wickedness are coming to their fullness, ultimately manifested in the ‘man of lawlessness’, the ‘beast’, the ‘anti-Christ’ and the ‘false prophet’. And so forth. But one day God will act. Enough is enough. Full measures, full cups, almost overflowing, and then no more. Never again. We are almost there.
But not yet. There still is some time left. There still are the seven Spirits of God, like seven flaming torches, the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is still hovering over the earth, knocking on the doors of people’s hearts. There is still time to embrace the saving Gospel, still time to take hold of the cross of Christ as a lifebuoy to which lost mortals can cling. Nevertheless, the saving work of the Spirit will one day make way for the work of cleansing fire and righteous judgment.
Christ’s eyes are the Seven Spirits of God,14 and they are flames of fire.15 “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?”16
• Zechariah 4:1–10 links the seven Spirits of God to the seven-branched lampstand, the menorah. “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit!” These seven are the eyes of the Lord, ranging throughout the whole earth. ’For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.’ 17
• The Pentecostal fire one-day becomes judgment fire. John the Baptist says in Matthew 3:11-12 ‘“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
• The Holy Spirit is the Hóly Spirit, not a spirit of excitement. Our God is a holy God. Yes, there can be the fire of excitement and even ecstasy in worship, but it is a holy, cleansing fire, by the HOLY Spirit.
Bible References:
1.Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:19 2. Exodus 19:18–20, 20:18 3.Ezekiel 1:13 4. Psalm 18:1–20, Psalm 97 5. John 12:28–29 6. Revelation 6:1 7. Revelation 8:5 8. Revelation 10:3–4 9. Revelation 11:19, see also 16:17 and 19:6; Job 37:2–5 10. Genesis 15:13–16 11. Revelation 6:11 12. Matthew 13:24–30 13. Revelation 19:15 14. Revelation 5:6 15. Revelation 1:14 16. Psalm 139:7 17. 2 Chronicles 16:9
